Causes & Effects of Delusional Disorder

At Covington Behavioral Health Hospital, we believe education is an important first step in the effort to heal from delusional disorders. Understanding the signs, symptoms, and effects of delusional disorders can help you get the right type and level of care for yourself or a loved one.

Understanding Delusional Disorder

Learn about delusional disorders

Although a person with delusional disorder may be able to work and lead a fairly normal life, there will be some observable peculiarities in his or her manner of thinking. Certain beliefs that he or she holds will be completely irrational and held as fact even though all evidence points to the belief being incorrect.

There are different forms of delusions. Jealous delusions make a person believe that his or her mate has been unfaithful, while erotomanic delusions involve the belief that another person (or persons) is in love with the individual despite convincing evidence that that is not the case. Persecutory delusions cause fear of being attacked or plotted against, and grandiose delusions cause an individual to believe that he or she is extremely praiseworthy and special. Somatic delusions have to do with body sensations, such as feelings that bugs live underneath a person’s skin, or that he or she perpetually smells bad.

Delusional disorders statistics

Delusional disorder affects 0.2 percent of people at some point in their lives, according to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Neither men nor women are at greater risk for delusional thinking in general, with the exception that men tend to have the jealous type of delusion.

Causes and Risk Factors

Causes and risk factors for delusional disorders

Genetic: Schizotypal personality disorder and schizophrenia disorder are genetically linked to delusional personality disorder. The presence of a family member with schizophrenia or schizotypal personality disorder in the family increases one’s risk of developing delusional disorder.

Risk Factors:

Having increased age

Family history of schizophrenia or schizotypal personality disorder

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of delusional disorders

Each case is unique, as two different people can have two different symptoms and experiences with delusional disorder. The following list shows common symptoms of this disorder:

Behavioral symptoms:

Demonstrations of aggression towards others (especially those associated with the delusional belief)

Acting in an antagonistic manner, such as filing lawsuits

Strange behaviors, such as constant scratching

Poor performance at work

Ability to operate normally when delusional areas are not involved

Cognitive symptoms:

Having one or more delusional beliefs

Persecutory delusion

Erotomanic delusion

Grandiose delusion

Jealous delusion

Somatic delusion

Another delusional belief of some unspecified type

Normal thinking in other areas

Psychosocial symptoms:

Easily agitated

Social conflict that results from delusional belief

Romantic conflict that results from delusional belief

Effects

Effects of delusional disorders

Schizophrenia spectrum and psychotic disorders generally affect a person more deeply than disorders of isolated delusional thoughts. That is not to say, though, that a delusional disorder will not cause extreme difficulty. Each person with delusions will experience negative outcomes in the particular area of life that his or her belief interacts with, such as the following: